Australian Stainless #75 by Australian Stainless Steel Development Association

ISSUE 75 2022

Specialising in stainless steel and its applications

Photo credit: Furphy Engineering

FEATURE

Stainless

DELIVERS THE BREW Stainless steel has delivered the lifeblood for the evolving brewery operation of one of Australia’s largest independent beer businesses.

Brick Lane was founded by 25 shareholders in 2017 with the vision to grow a sustainable, more inclusive, independent brewery focused on quality, flexibility, and sustainability. Delivering its own craft beer, ciders, seltzers and other drinks, Brick Lane extends its facilities to the wider brewing community, offering its brewing and packaging services to like-minded partners to encourage and support the growth of independent and craft beer in Australia.

TPM’s highly skilled team of welders performed all the hand welding of process pipework to AS/NZS 3992:2020 (Pressure equipment – Welding and brazing qualification), AS 4041:2006 (Pressure piping) and ASME Section IX (Boiler and pressure vessel code: Welding and brazing qualifications). TPM also deployed one of its specialised orbital welding machines on site which completed more than 2,500 welds alone.

Critical to Brick Lane’s success was the design and construction of a state-of-the-art brewery, combining global-leading technology with local stainless steel technical expertise and fabrication. Located in Victoria’s Dandenong South on a 5,000sqm site, Brick Lane partnered with German-based brewery equipment supplier BrauKon to deliver the original 50hL 4 vessel brewhouse in 2018, which was later expanded in 2020 with an additional 110hL 4 vessel brewhouse.

In addition, TPM completed the high-pressure steam installation, all of which were weld mapped, NDT and hydrostatically tested in accordance with AS 4041:2006.

ASSDA Member and Accredited Fabricator Total Piping and Mechanical (TPM) was engaged both locally and by BrauKon to deliver the equipment installation and assembly, and process and service piping. TPM used 316L grade stainless steel to AS 1528 (Stainless steel tube and tube fittings for food processing and hygienic applications) pipe and fittings for the process pipework lines, and 304 grade AS 1528 stainless steel for the service pipework lines. With most of the equipment supplied from Europe, the connections were delivered in DIN sizes, presenting some challenges in transitioning from DIN to locally sourced AS 1528 sized tube. TPM addressed this by supplying custom-made transition pieces.

Brick Lane’s Head Brewer Jon Seltin said TPM’s quality in the pipe fittings and welding was exemplary. ‘Their approach to handselecting their labour force ensured workers with validated welding skills, experience, attention to detail, efficiency, and quality. In periods of high pressure and tight deadlines, TPM’s management and staff always remained courteous, positive, and practical, contributing to a great on-site culture.’ Brick Lane was the first Australian brewery to adopt thermal load wort boiling and crossflow filtration technology, reducing its energy and water usage, improving beer output quality and eliminating the need to use non-renewable filtration aids. With sustainability and efficiency at the forefront of its design, the brewery also houses a vapour condenser, which reclaims energy from steam produced during the brewing process.

Furphy Engineering’s Dimple-Q, laser-welded dimple plate Photo credit: Furphy Engineering

2021 Major Cellar Expansion A multi-million-dollar investment in equipment to expand the brewery saw the construction of a major cold-block rolled out in 2021, increasing the operation’s annual production capacity to approximately 20 million litres. The expansion saw Brick Lane further adopt world-leading technologies in yeast propagation, fermentation management, automated liquids handling, centrifugation, high-gravity brewing, thermal storage/energy recovery and keg packaging. ASSDA Member and Accredited Fabricator Furphy Engineering was engaged to design, fabricate, test, and deliver thirteen stainless steel tanks, including ten 400hL beer fermenters, two 450hL bright beer tanks, one 610hL hot water tank, plus an upper-level stainless steel access platform system. Approximately 100 tonnes of stainless steel was used for the project, including grade 304 for the fermenters, bright beer tanks and access platforms, and grade 316 for the hot water tank. The material used was a mix of stainless steel sheet and plate from 2mm to 10mm, 250NB Sch40 and 300NB Sch40 pipe, and various sizes of AS 1528 tube. Stainless steel materials were supplied by ASSDA Members Atlas Steels and Vulcan. The fermenters and bright beer tank were designed and constructed to AS 1210:2010 (Pressure vessels). The fabrication of the fermenters, bright beer tanks and hot water tank was undertaken using a plasma arc welding (PAW) process. PAW produces excellent weld quality with the introduction of minimal heat and with no removal of parent material required for weld preparation. This system was pioneered in Australia by Furphy Engineering in 2006, and today they operate five PAW machines for tank and vessel welding.

The cooling jackets on the fermenters and bright beer tanks employ Furphy Engineering’s Dimple-Q, a laser-welded dimple plate that delivers efficient temperature control and achieves brew cooling from the exterior. Dimple-Q is the only Australian made laser-welded dimple plate and is manufactured in-house by Furphy Engineering in Shepparton. Jon Seltin said Furphy Engineering was an excellent local partner for the major cellar expansion, with the team proactively involved throughout the project cycle while seamlessly collaborating with other project vendors. ‘The quality of the supplied tanks was excellent and their on-time delivery during difficult COVID restrictions was critical for the overall success of the project. Their reliability coupled with their flexibility, quality design and fabrication capability are no doubt why they enjoy such a good reputation in their industry.’ TPM’s team of welders was brought back on-site to perform the mechanical installation of the Furphy Engineering supplied tanks. From the time of the original build through to the completion of the third cellar expansion, TPM has delivered more than 5,000 welds and installed over 5,000m of stainless steel tube. Brick Lane continues to have its eyes set on the future, with its site well-positioned to grow with the Australian craft beer market while setting the benchmark for sustainability and efficiency in brewing.

ASSDA MEMBER CONTACTS Atlas Steels \ William Soonalole, Account Manager – Melbourne SC \ 0418 368 871 \ william.soonalole@atlassteels.com.au \ atlassteels.com.au Furphy Engineering \ Darren Leeder, Sales Manager \ 0408 321 450 \ darren.leeder@furphys.com.au \ furphyengineering.com.au Total Piping and Mechanical \ Matt Taylor, Director \ 0487 788 834 \ matt@totalpiping.com.au \ totalpiping.com.au Vulcan \ Stephen Orridge, Unit Leader \ 0418 393 743 \ stephen.orridge@vulcan.co \ vulcan.co

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

The benefits of

STAINLESS STEEL FOR BREWING Australia is in a craft beer renaissance. The materials used in beer production has evolved over the years, and today, stainless steel is the material of choice and industry standard in modern brewing. Let’s look at some of the benefits...

Corrosion resistant Stainless steels are excellent combatants of corrosion. This resistance to attack is due to the naturally occurring chromiumrich oxide film formed on the surface of the steel, which selfrepairs in the presence of oxygen. With the correct selection of alloys and application of good design principles and proper fabrication practices, stainless steel equipment will perform successfully. 300-series stainless steels are commonly specified in brewing equipment, and passivation is a chemical surface treatment that is often performed to enhance the steel’s corrosion resistance. The process removes contaminants and promotes the formation of the steel’s passive film.

Better taste Beer ranges broadly in acidity and has live micro-organisms which can cause biofouling and biocorrosion in the tanks and fluid lines used in the brewing process. This can deliver a metallic taste in beer, even with tiny iron concentrations. Stainless steels’ corrosion resistance offers the best insurance against any unusual and unwanted flavours.

Easy to clean and maintain Compared with other materials, stainless steel is a hygienic, low maintenance product that’s easy to clean and sanitise. Chemical cleaning is an effective method for maintaining stainless steel

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brewing equipment. Typically, both an alkaline wash (often sodium hydroxide based) is used to remove organic materials. It is followed by an acidic treatment with phosphoric acid (with a dash of oxidising nitric acid) or, increasingly in hard water areas, a peracetic acid formulation for mineral scale removal. Beerstone removal may require warm solutions. It’s important to never use bleach on stainless steel! It can cause staining, pitting corrosion and permanently damage the steel’s surface and protective layer.

Durable and sustainable Stainless steel delivers structural strength and integrity, and with a proper maintenance regime, stainless steel brewing equipment can deliver a lifetime of use. In addition, stainless steel is 100% recyclable and is actively repurposed without any significant loss of material quality.

Sleek good looks Today, many breweries are opening their venues as a vibrant place to eat, drink and socialise. Its popularity has gained momentum in the Australian market with stainless steel brewery equipment and processes showcased as part of the patron experience, delivering style, substance, and aesthetics.

INDUSTRIAL

BLOWN AWAY

by stainless steel For almost 30 years ASSDA Member AirEng has delivered customised, state-of-the-art stainless steel airflow solutions for a wide range of local and global industries including agriculture, mining, food and beverage and water treatment. AirEng continues to be a leading industrial fan specialist, providing businesses with steadfast solutions, employing leading edge technology, practical design, and robust construction. All AirEng products are proudly designed and manufactured locally in Australia at their production facility in Bayswater, Victoria, spanning over a 3.2-acre site. Industrial fans are used for various applications and unique industry needs. They are generally broken down into three different fan types, axial, mixed flow and centrifugal, all of which can be manufactured in stainless steel and up to a sizeable 5m in diameter. AirEng predominately manufacture their fans in grades 304L and 316L due to the material’s excellent corrosion resistant properties, which maximises product performance and quality where contaminants are present in the air stream. AirEng also manufactures components using duplex stainless steels, particularly in grades 2205 and 2507 for even more rigorous duties. AirEng recently manufactured and installed two stainless steel centrifugal fans for Sydney Water to improve onsite odour management for their Cronulla Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). AirEng worked closely with their client, considering not only the application, but equipment reliability, longevity, operational efficiency, maintenance requirements and capital cost. The centrifugal fans extract foul air to four packed tower scrubbers which deodorise the air prior to release into the atmosphere. The fans were rated at 50,000m³/hr each and powered by 90kW four-pole motors. They featured a 1.2m diameter single inlet, single-width backward inclined laminar impeller, with an overall weight of 2.5t. This was manufactured from grade 316L stainless steel for its high level of material strength and efficiency.

The fan shafts and casings were also fabricated from 316L for its excellent corrosion resistant properties, ensuring reliability for a long and lower maintenance working life. Stainless steel materials for this project was supplied by ASSDA Member, Vulcan. Aeration is also a necessary process in wastewater treatment plants, adding air into wastewater to allow biodegradation of the pollutant components. Industrial fans are used to create strong pressure and efficient airflow to provide air in the aeration process. With the correct maintenance procedures, AirEng fans provide a long service life and are designed for a minimum 20-year service. All their products conform to AS 2936 Industrial fans – Determination of performance characteristics, BS 848 Fans for General Purposes and US Air Movement and Control Association Inc. AMCA210 and AMCA310 performance requirements. AirEng is constantly evolving its manufacturing processes and material applications to suit emerging industries, skilfully matching fan design to process requirements. Material choice in aeration equipment can make the difference to reduce carbon footprints and substantially lower life-cycle costs.

Stainless steel is the material of choice in industrial fan applications due to its strength, durability, and corrosive resistant properties, in turn, increasing bearing life and dramatically extending maintenance intervals. Choosing the right technology is vital, however correct material specification is crucial.

Photo credit: AirEng

ASSDA MEMBER CONTACTS AirEng \ Colin Oakey, National Business Development Manager \ 03 9738 1999 \ fans@aireng.com.au \ aireng.com.au Vulcan \ Stephen Orridge, Unit Leader \ 03 9238 7200 \ stainless.melbourne@vulcan.co \ vulcan.co 5 – Australian Stainless Issue 75

LOGISTICS

Global Industry Supply Chain Pressure Simon Pepper, Managing Director of ASSDA Member SILA Global, provides an important update on shipping and logistics in the Australian supply chain. To say the last few years have been unstable, uncertain, difficult, and perturbing would be an understatement. The worldwide impact and far reach of industry issues experienced remind us that we truly are a global economy, and an event on the other side of the world can severely affect the Australian supply chain. We are not out of the woods yet. Problems that occurred last year with freight rates, space constraints, rollovers, port closures and other delays are beginning to pale in comparison to what is now occurring in the Australian domestic logistics landscape. I must add at this point, this is my current experience and point of view. Now that ocean freight rates have started to fall further since the end of the Chinese New Year period, we have seen some additional shipping capacity enter the market, as well as a few new players. This is welcome news and has helped enormously in what was looking like another difficult year in shipping. However, as it seems to be in our current environment, there is always something that will throw a spanner in the works. At this point, it’s the lockdowns occurring in China due to their zero-Covid policy, which saw Shanghai locked down for almost the whole month of April. As you would expect, this caused worker shortages, truck shortages, factory closures, reduced manufacturing capacity and so on. Now the ripple effect remains to be fully realised however, in my opinion, many companies are waiting on stock from that region. Once the gates open, we may see a small peak period of increased rates and reduced space while the market sorts itself out and, providing there are no more issues with lockdowns, stability will begin to be seen.

‘We’re all in this together and everyone is, in one way or another, afiected by the current industry climate.’

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However, there is now some concern about what this may mean for the Australian domestic supply chain in June/July 2022, which is already under unprecedented pressure since late January. It seems that just when there is a small sign of improvement, something else comes along and it only gets worse. To give some background on the current state of the Australian supply chain, November 2021 through to January 2022 was unseasonably busy, especially in late December 2021. Around this time there was also a known incoming price increase of stainless steel which resulted in a lot of companies purchasing high amounts of stock. Meanwhile, other companies in different steel spaces have referred to the period as an ‘avalanche of steel’ also driven by low scrap prices. December 2021 and January 2022 saw cargo still arriving thick and fast however, most receivers were closed for the holiday break which started causing some backlogs, albeit not overly detrimental at the time. In late January 2022, cargo started moving well and we finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel until the Omicron wave hit causing the situation to spiral downwards very quickly. Five months later, certain areas in logistics have still not recovered. Between staff becoming sick and people having to stay at home due to close contact isolation policies, the logistics industry (as did others) took a very heavy hit between labour to unpack, drivers to deliver and administration staff to manage it all. Carriers reached out to labour-hire companies which were going through the same issues.

Some small gaps were filled but that lead to underexperienced staff doing the work, leading to other issues and becoming a cycle. At the same time, the transport industry was hit hard, and end-receivers were as well. There were staff shortages at receivers where deliveries dropped from five to six loads a day down to one to two loads, which compounded the problems and added to the backlog. It became so congested that some transport and logistics companies put a stop on new work for a period. I am aware of some companies in Melbourne that declined to take on any new work for a time and that is still occurring months later as the issues ebb and flow. We also saw some of Australia’s largest logistics providers shut certain sites for short periods due to safety issues brought on by being over capacity and there was simply no more room to hold containers. Added to these issues are other problems such as significantly increasing costs of labour including administrative personnel and drivers, fuel, and equipment. All of these areas are in extraordinarily high demand. At the same time, there is high staff turnover occurring in the transport and logistics sector. Personally, I have not experienced this level of difficulty or depth of issues occurring in the domestic supply chain since the release of the Australian Border Force Integrated Cargo System (ICS) back in October 2005. To say it’s difficult and time-consuming is an understatement and staff in all facets are in the middle of the sandwich between transport, traders, customers, receivers, distributors, end-users and finally the consumer. This is a broad overview of the issues, and each state and port has its own additional problems. For example, the TransAustralia railway line flooding which occurred in February and affected the east-west supply chain seems to have hit Fremantle harder than it has on the east coast. Then there were our more recent flood events on the east coast. All of this has

a knock-on effect Australia wide in some way and once again these are broad examples but hopefully, you can see what I mean by ‘unprecedented’. As a result of this chaos, container detention is a huge problem. Most, if not all, transport company policies, including SILA Global, have stated that they cannot be held responsible for detention charges due to circumstances beyond their control. There are reports from the Freight and Trade Alliance (FTA) that “it is conservatively estimated that container detention charges alone are costing importers $500m per annum” and further reports “in terms of the current diabolical state of Australia’s Maritime Logistics System”. We suggest that importers write to their nominated shipping lines and request assistance with additional free time or reductions in already issued detention invoices during this period of unprecedented difficulty. We are here to help and if you need any assistance composing a submission, please reach out. I would also point out that the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) are making submissions to the Productivity Commission on detention practices, and you can find further information on their website. We recommend requesting 21-days of free detention time. While this seems to be granted less and less these days, starting at this point may encourage shipping lines to provide their maximum allowable free time. These free time recommendations are to assist in mitigating any detention costs that may be incurred due to extended delays and the state of the industry. In conclusion, the global supply chain issues are here to stay – for now. We’re all in this together and everyone is, in one way or another, affected by the current industry climate. A message I keep sending out is to treat each other with kindness during this time as it’s been hard on everyone.

SILA Global has been operating since 2010 as a leading logistics company with an outstanding reputation for providing innovative solutions. Recognised as an Australian Trusted Trader (ATT), SILA Global operates worldwide, providing door-to-door logistics services for steel products, chemical hazardous and non-hazardous, ISO tank containers, FMCG, project and heavy-lifi cargo, and more.

ASSDA MEMBER CONTACT SILA Global \ 07 3908 1690 \ sales@sila.net.au \ sila.net.au 7 – Australian Stainless Issue 75

20-21 July

PacRim Stainless 2022

HOTEL X BRISBANE

Gala Dinner

AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY STAINLESS STEEL FABRICATOR AWARDS

6.30pm \ Wednesday 20 July 2022 Hotel X Brisbane, Queensland Join us in celebrating innovation and excellence in stainless steel design and fabrication

pacrimstainless.com

CONFERENCE SPONSORS:

PLATINUM MEMBERS:

GOLD MEMBERS: Stanch Stainless Steel Co., Ltd. Stoddart YC Inox Co., Ltd.

SILVER MEMBERS: Acerinox \ Amity Pacific \ Aqseptence Group \ Arcus Wire Group \ AusPress MEI \ Austral Wright Metals \ Australian Stainless Distributors \ Callidus Welding Solutions \ Ching-Hann Industries Co., Ltd. \ Dalsteel Metals \ Fagersta Steels \ Metal Centre Australia \ Prochem Pipeline Products \ Sanwa \ Stainless Steel Wire & Mesh \ Vulcan \ Yue-Seng Industrial Co., Ltd.

AUSTRALIAN STAINLESS MAGAZINE MORE INFO: Enquiries or further information on any material presented in this publication should be directed to ASSDA: Level 6, 200 Adelaide St, Brisbane Qld 4000 \ +61 7 3220 0722 \ assda@assda.asn.au \ assda.asn.au EDITORIAL: Contributions of story ideas specialising in stainless steel and its applications are welcome from Members of ASSDA. ADVERTISING: Advertise in the only publication that reaches a targeted group of 5000+ in the Australian stainless steel industry. Rates available at www.assda.asn.au. CONTACT: Lissel Pilcher, Editor: lissel@assda.asn.au DISCLAIMER: ASSDA sources articles and advertisements from a variety of contributors and accordingly does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the contents of this publication nor the suitability of specific applications referred to herein for any particular use. Competent advice should be sought before acting on any matter contained in this publication. © Australian Stainless Steel Development Association 2022 The content of this document is subject to copyright law. You must not use, reproduce or adapt any part of it without ASSDA`s express consent.